Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys
Food composition data in the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries are often lacking, obsolete, or unreliable. The study aims to provide reliable nutrient data on food products consumed in Oman in order to evaluate their nutritional quality, the consistency of the nutrition labeling and claims, and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/787 |
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| author | Salima Almaamari Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh Ibtisam Al Ghammari Saleh Al Shammakhi Jokha Al Aamri Jalila El Ati |
| author_facet | Salima Almaamari Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh Ibtisam Al Ghammari Saleh Al Shammakhi Jokha Al Aamri Jalila El Ati |
| author_sort | Salima Almaamari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Food composition data in the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries are often lacking, obsolete, or unreliable. The study aims to provide reliable nutrient data on food products consumed in Oman in order to evaluate their nutritional quality, the consistency of the nutrition labeling and claims, and, ultimately, the use for food consumption surveys and update the current food composition database. Contents of fat, fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, sugars, and sodium were chemically analyzed in 221 foods and beverages. Products were classified according to their nutritional composition and the extent of processing and coded according to the FoodEx2 system. Labels and laboratory values were compared using the tolerance levels of the European Union. Results indicate that the nutrition labeling aligns with the values obtained in the laboratory, with the exception of 6.3% discrepancies in TFA content, where the reported values are higher than the appropriate reference values. The most frequent category (71.5%) was ultra-processed foods. In terms of inconsistencies in the nutritional claims, 5.1% of food products with claims did not comply with the statement “sugar-free” or “low salt”. Our study provides evidence to support the necessity of comprehensive recommendations for consumers and food industries, which are aimed at enhancing the nutritional quality of products and augmenting consumer awareness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa6a49b3d8b94e5ab54cc8dce75e569c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa6a49b3d8b94e5ab54cc8dce75e569c2024-03-12T16:44:29ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582024-03-0113578710.3390/foods13050787Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption SurveysSalima Almaamari0Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh1Ibtisam Al Ghammari2Saleh Al Shammakhi3Jokha Al Aamri4Jalila El Ati5Nutrition Department, Ministry of Health, Muscat 393, OmanRegional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, World Health Organization, Cairo 7608, EgyptNutrition Department, Ministry of Health, Muscat 393, OmanNutrition Department, Ministry of Health, Muscat 393, OmanNutrition Department, Ministry of Health, Muscat 393, OmanSURVEN (Nutrition Surveillance and Epidemiology in Tunisia) Research Laboratory, INNTA (National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology), 11 Rue Jebel Lakhdar, Bab Saadoun, Tunis 1007, TunisiaFood composition data in the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries are often lacking, obsolete, or unreliable. The study aims to provide reliable nutrient data on food products consumed in Oman in order to evaluate their nutritional quality, the consistency of the nutrition labeling and claims, and, ultimately, the use for food consumption surveys and update the current food composition database. Contents of fat, fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, sugars, and sodium were chemically analyzed in 221 foods and beverages. Products were classified according to their nutritional composition and the extent of processing and coded according to the FoodEx2 system. Labels and laboratory values were compared using the tolerance levels of the European Union. Results indicate that the nutrition labeling aligns with the values obtained in the laboratory, with the exception of 6.3% discrepancies in TFA content, where the reported values are higher than the appropriate reference values. The most frequent category (71.5%) was ultra-processed foods. In terms of inconsistencies in the nutritional claims, 5.1% of food products with claims did not comply with the statement “sugar-free” or “low salt”. Our study provides evidence to support the necessity of comprehensive recommendations for consumers and food industries, which are aimed at enhancing the nutritional quality of products and augmenting consumer awareness.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/787laboratory valuesnutrition labelultra-processed productsNOVA systemnutrient profileFoodEx2 system |
| spellingShingle | Salima Almaamari Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh Ibtisam Al Ghammari Saleh Al Shammakhi Jokha Al Aamri Jalila El Ati Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys Foods laboratory values nutrition label ultra-processed products NOVA system nutrient profile FoodEx2 system |
| title | Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys |
| title_full | Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys |
| title_short | Nutritional Data on Selected Food Products Consumed in Oman: An Update of the Food Composition Table and Use for Future Food Consumption Surveys |
| title_sort | nutritional data on selected food products consumed in oman an update of the food composition table and use for future food consumption surveys |
| topic | laboratory values nutrition label ultra-processed products NOVA system nutrient profile FoodEx2 system |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/5/787 |
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